Project 22: Privacy Radar

Sponsor: Cisco Systems Inc.

Project Pitch

Mentor(s):

Jeff Luna jefluna@cisco.com

Background of Company:

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet.

Our purpose -To power an inclusive future for all.

Our mission- To inspire new possibilities for our customers by reimagining their applications, securing their data, transforming their infrastructure, and empowering their teams.

Our commitment-To drive the most trusted customer experience in the industry with our extraordinary people and great technologies.

Project Background and Need:

Julie Earp, associate professor at Poole College of Management has identified and studied the impact of the balance of organizational information technology security and needs of individuals to better manage privacy concerns surrounding the downloading and use of mobile applications. 

“Organizations need to ensure the security of their systems and their data. Individuals, we want to ensure our privacy,” said Earp. 

“How many apps do you have and what do you actually use” and “When you download app, is it from a trusted source” says Earp. Individuals and organizations are concerned with the security and privacy vulnerabilities in mobile devices and in a pandemic remote work era, the lines of personal use and work use are blurred. Organizations need to ensure security of systems and data while maintaining and respecting privacy concerns of users.

https://poole.ncsu.edu/thought-leadership/article/a-discussion-with-julie-earp-on-managing-privacy-with-mobile-apps/

Problem Description/requirements (List of high-level functionality you expect to see in the end product):

When you download app, is it from a trusted source? How do you check permissions? Does this app need access to contact or locations?

Many consumers are in a rush to start using applications and may fail to understand or implement adequate controls to protect privacy and support security.

Systems of assuring privacy may only apply to specific brands of mobile devices or not supply enough information to end-users to adjust application privacy settings.

The student may design a method to analyze and predict privacy dangers to individuals based on pattern analysis of public data sources, access to device resources like contacts, calendar, location information, browser history, user behavior patterns, cybersecurity, and reputation. Potential project solutions can include tools to analyze local device network traffic to limit flows of classified privacy data to untrusted sources.

Project solutions should help end-users and enterprise organizations when mixed-use of personal and enterprise applications is applied.

Required Skills / Desired Competencies (in order of importance):

• Mobile app development

• Networking

• Programming experience

• Machine learning

• Statistical programming

• Regression techniques

• Wireless communications

How often and how would you be available to meet/chat with the team (Zoom, Hangout, Skype, Phone)?

1-2 times per week

Will the students be required to sign any of the following before they start with the project? NDA / CDA / IP assignment / IP protection form

NDA, CDA, IP Assignment and IP Protection forms will need to be signed.